Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit 12 has released its preliminary budget for the 2015-2016 fiscal year and representatives have begun to attend the district’s selectmen meetings to hear concerns and build support in anticipation of the regional budget meeting scheduled for May.
The proposed $20,353,766 budget for 2015-2016 is a 3.1 percent increase from the previous year’s budget of $19,734,267. The municipalities that compose RSU 12 will be responsible for raising $10,311,936 of the overall budget.
Due to changes in RSU 12’s revenue stream, most notably the end of Wiscasset’s payout to RSU 12 negotiated in the withdrawal agreement, municipalities will see an increase of 3.81 percent in their commitment to RSU 12.
The brunt of that increase will not be felt equally by the towns represented in RSU 12. Due to changes in the cost-sharing formula, some municipalities will see a decrease of almost 14 percent in their local contribution, while others will see an increase of approximately 11 percent.
RSU 12 serves the towns of Alna, Chelsea, Palermo, Somerville, Whitefield, Windsor, and Westport Island. The district has four elementary schools. The district lost its only high school after Wiscasset’s withdrawal.
Local contributions were offset in the 2014-2015 fiscal year due to contributions from Wiscasset negotiated in the RSU 12 withdrawal agreement. Wiscasset contributed $650,000 in 2014-2015. Its final payment of $250,000 to RSU 12 will occur in 2015-2016.
The loss of Wiscasset’s contribution as a revenue source is reflected in the increase in local contributions to RSU 12.
Somerville will see the highest increase in its local contribution in the proposed 2015-2016 budget. Somerville’s proposed contribution is $528,963, a $54,607 or 11.51 percent from the previous year’s contribution of $474,356.
Westport Island will see the largest decrease at 13.94 percent. Westport Island’s previous contribution of $1,012,040 would be reduced to $870,921 in the proposed budget.
Alna’s proposed contribution to RSU 12 is $898,246, a $379 decrease from the previous year’s contribution of $898,625.
Whitefield’s proposed contribution for 2015-2016 is $2,122,804, a $59,735 increase from the previous year’s contribution of $2,063,070.
RSU 12 Superintendent Howard Tuttle, members of the RSU 12 Board of Directors, and RSU 12 staff have begun to meet with selectmen in their district to explain the budget, hear concerns, and garner public support in anticipation of the regional budget meeting where voters will either approve or reject it.
Tuttle and RSU 12 representatives presented the budget to the Whitefield Board of Selectmen Tuesday, March 17.
Despite a budget increase, very little has changed in the operation of the district, Tuttle said.
Tuition payments account for approximately 40 percent of RSU 12’s budget, Tuttle said. Elementary tuition is projected to increase by 6.04 percent in the 2015-2016 fiscal year. Secondary tuition is projected to increase by 4.7 percent. “We have no decision-making power over that,” Tuttle said.
Health insurance was a primary cause of the budget increase in three out of four of the RSU 12 schools, Tuttle said in response to questions from Whitefield selectmen.
Due to the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as ObamaCare, the number of RSU 12 staff signing up for health care has increased, causing insurance costs to rise, Tuttle said.
Tuttle said the RSU 12 budget committee and administrators have worked hard to keep the budget flat despite rises in costs the district has little control over. Operating costs are expected to decrease by 33.57 percent due to a new energy conservation performance contract projected to save the district $125,536 in energy costs.
Tuttle said the budget reductions made were done as far away from instruction costs as possible. RSU 12’s central office will reduce its number of staff from three to one.
Tuttle and RSU 12 representatives will hear concerns and answer questions of selectmen throughout the district over the next month.
The Westport Island selectmen are scheduled to discuss the budget at their April 6 meeting at 7 p.m. at the town office. Somerville selectmen are scheduled to hear about the budget April 7 at 6 p.m. at the town office. RSU 12 representatives plan to meet with Alna selectmen at an undetermined date in April.
